In 2015, Co.Create had the opportunity to talk to a lot of cool people about a lot of cool projects. It’s been . . . pretty cool. But more than finding out what folks in the entertainment industry have been up to lately, we’ve been interested in learning how they do what they do just generally. What are the best practices and sneaky tricks that separate the average Starbucks-faring screenplay striver from the people whose work other people pay upwards of $35 to go watch in public? That’s what we’ve been trying to uncover, one question involving the word ‘creative process’ at a time. Although nobody could possibly learn to turn their hobby into an art, or their art into a trade, just from reading an article, doing so might at least light the way for the eventual journey to come. (In writing, that’s called “foreshadowing.”) With that in mind, we’ve assembled some of the best advice we’ve received this year, in the interest of helping you unleash the creative beats within.

Read through the slides above for superb nuggets of insight into a productive life, from the likes of Margaret Atwood, Paul Scheer, A$AP Rocky, and more.